


I Still Need You

by BGtheRobit



Series: Ghost Sonic AU [1]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Ghost Sonic AU, Ghosts, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, oop here come the sad gays lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:48:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25206493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BGtheRobit/pseuds/BGtheRobit
Summary: Things don't always work out for the best. When you lose someone close to you, it can be almost worse if you get to see them that "one last time" that you begged for.Sorry, Shadow.
Relationships: Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog
Series: Ghost Sonic AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1826104
Comments: 7
Kudos: 52





	1. I'm Sorry That I Couldn't Get To You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains painful death. Tags are there for a reason.

This was supposed to be a simple mission.

Shadow and Sonic had expected to run into a few badniks along the way, nothing drastic. The fields around the outskirts of the nearby town were often roaming grounds to a decent number of them, but since the town was so small there were never more than a few dozen. However, when the two speedsters arrived, they found the place absolutely _swarming_.

That should’ve been the first sign to call for backup.

The boys glanced at each other, Sonic flashing his signature grin at the darker one before launching himself into the robots. Shadow quickly followed suit, easily defeating many of the not-so-menacing mechanical menaces. But as he tore through badnik after badnik, he couldn't help but notice that some of the robots that were in the swarm seemed different - bigger, stronger, faster. The dark hedgehog didn't think he'd ever seen ones quite like these, which meant on top of being outnumbered, the boys couldn't be sure what to expect, either.

That should’ve been the second sign to call for backup.

But Sonic didn’t seem to notice the new robots, or maybe he just didn’t care. He bashed through them either way. The ever-thickening swarm of metal was a challenge, not a threat. Neither hedgehog seemed worried, even with the constant stream of baddies. They usually only had to bash a few in this area at the most, but for some reason there were just _so many_. In the chaos of battle, Shadow had easily gotten separated from the blue blur, unable to even catch glimpses of him through the busy bolts. He didn’t think he’d ever seen this much concentration of badniks here.

That should’ve been the third sign to call for--

He didn’t know what was happening until the scream.

Shadow immediately turned and started fighting his way toward the pained noise. Sonic wasn’t one to yell out like that, especially a scream as pained as the one that was just heard, unless something was going very wrong. Eventually, he got close enough to earn a quick glimpse of what made the sound- it was Sonic, struggling and failing to escape the four arms of one of the new large robots. The sight was quickly covered back up by the surge of metal.

“ _Shadow-- **AGH!!!**_ ” Sonic tried to call out for the other, interrupted by his own shouts in response to a new pain, his cries only stopping long enough for him to try to take in a shallow breath.

As he kept fighting forward, Shadow was given another look, a longer one, of Sonic. His body convulsing as the massive badnik sent dangerous amounts of electricity through the small Mobian. Sonic couldn’t move, he couldn’t struggle, all he could do was scream in pain.

It didn't take long for the fear to set in. He couldn’t _move_. He couldn't escape the crushing grip that this mech had on him. He was pretty sure a few ribs had broken in the process of being grabbed, and that wasn’t his flair for the dramatic talking. His restraint was tight enough so even the uncontrolled spazzing of his body from the electrocution was forced to be still.

_The electrocution._

He'd felt this before. Multiple times. And every time he hoped he'd never have to go through that again, and yet he always seems to wind up back here.

It hurt.

A low humming from the robot that he didn't notice until now shifted its pitch. The hedgehog dared to hope for a fraction of a second that it meant it was over, that he would be put down.

The screams amplified into piercing shrieks.

It hurt, it burned, his chest felt like it was going to explode and implode all at the same time and he wanted it to _stop_. Shrieking sobs echoed the battlefield, Sonic's tears evaporating from the heat of the intense current before they could even try to fall. Shadow was shoving through any robot that tried to get in his way, desperately trying to get to his partner. He was so close, he could see him clearly, he could almost save him, _just hold out a little longer Sonic, please-_

The mech's humming changed one last time.

The loudest scream yet, cut short.

The seizing body, limp.

Shadow finally broke free of the last of the badniks as Sonic was dropped to the ground.

"No, no, not him," he panicked, running over to the fallen hedgehog. _He's still breathing. I_ swear _I see him breathing._

Sonic could only watch through wide blurry eyes as Shadow approached him. His hand twitched slightly when he tried to reach out, desperately wanting to speak but the only thing that could come out was a soft, weak whimper before the ‘fastest thing alive’ suddenly wasn’t so ‘alive’ anymore.

Shadow dropped to his knees next to the once-blue hedgehog. The air reeked of singed quills. Sonic's body was crushed, burned, and his whole body just looked so frail. So fragile. So…

So _not Sonic_.

Shadow brushed Sonic's cheek with a tender hand, charred fur leaving a gray smudge on his glove. He stared at the other, beautiful green eyes once so full of life, determination, hope...gone. Empty, his face twisted in the pain of his last moments. Tears welled in the black hedgehog's eyes as he finally started to process what he was seeing. realizing he'll never see that cocky grin, feel that breeze of the blue blur rushing by, or hear those witty quips that used to bother him so much. Those weren’t coming back. They were _never_ coming back. He let out a shaky sigh, holding back a sob as he lifted his hand off Sonic's cheek.

Easy, trembling hands closed emerald eyes.

_I’m sorry, Sonic._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been a first of a lot of things for me - first AO3 fic, first Sonic fic, and the first fic that I've written at ALL in a long time. So hopefully you enjoyed this, I'll update when I can but I'm a bit of a slow writer so bear with me lol. Kudos and comments always appreciated!
> 
> Special thanks to Nutkin from the Pocket Hog Discord server for helping me figure out the events of this chapter, I've been wanting to write this for a while but didn't know how to start it until they helped me out.
> 
> Also, this chapter was beta-read by my best friend Macy, thanks again!


	2. I Don't Want To Let Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta-read by Macy and Nutkin. Thanks guys!

"Dr. Eggman, termination of the blue hedgehog has been successful."

Shadow glared up at the mechanical voice, the robotic killer unfazed. "Badnik numbers heavily impacted in battle. Awaiting further instr--"

The transmission was cut off as Shadow delivered a jarring blow to the scrapheap. This thing killed Sonic. Eggman _ordered_ it to kill Sonic. _Why couldn't I have destroyed it sooner,_ Shadow growled to himself as he completely trashed the robot. _Why couldn’t I have done this when it was needed?_ Even long after the robot was deactivated he threw punch after punch, each one harder than the last. He hardly noticed the pain, even as dark green started to soak through his gloves. _Why wasn’t I fast enough? Why couldn’t I SAVE HIM?!_ He cried out in fury as his fist broke completely through the pile of scrap metal.

He stepped back, still seething, but slowly starting to cool from his rage. The mech was destroyed, pulverized, completely unrecognizable, but he was still too late. Sonic was gone. He couldn't bring him back. No amount of fighting or revenge could ever bring someone back. 

He already knew that.

Shadow sat down, pulling his knees to his chest and resting bloodied hands over his head as he tried and failed to stop tears from streaming down his cheeks.

He couldn't believe he let it happen again.

Again, he'd let himself get close to someone. Again, they died in front of his eyes. And again, he couldn't do anything to help. Another person Shadow cared so much about was gone, just because Shadow was _too slow to save him_.

Several silent moments pass as the ebony hedgehog tried to figure out what the hell he was going to do next. His mind was too flooded with emotions to let him think clearly, so he kind of just sat there until a voice broke the silence.

"Shadow."

The voice was too familiar. He didn't look up.

"C'mon bud, talk to me."

It wasn't real. It was just in his head, that’s all. There was no way he--

A faint touch on his shoulder broke his train of thought. "Shads."

Shadow slowly uncurled and looked up towards the voice. Panic shot through him as his eyes focused on what was in front of him. He quickly tried to back away, still sitting on the ground.

Standing before him, somehow completely unharmed…

...was Sonic.

Shadow stared up at the hedgehog, who no longer had any hint of burns or broken bones. His quills were lifted upwards, a golden glow radiating from him. Shadow wondered for a moment if he had somehow managed to go Super, but no, he's _dead_ , and you can't go Super if you're _dead_ , right? He seemed pale, transparent even, looking like he might not even be completely there. _Because he ISN'T, you're IMAGINING this,_ his mind insisted. Out of the corner of his eye he could still see the scorched body of the other hedgehog (he refused to look at it in full), affirming this thought. _He was too perfect to be real anyway,_ Shadow thought bitterly, instantly regretting it.

Shadow finally mustered the courage to speak. “I...no, you aren’t real.” His trembling voice sounded nothing like the steady tone he could usually hold up. Internally he cursed himself for letting this get to him. He shouldn’t let some illusion scare him so much. He cleared his throat and spoke louder, more force behind his words. "Leave me alone, Faker." When Sonic didn’t respond and instead came closer, Shadow growled. “I said, _leave me alone_.”

"Shadow listen--"

“No. _Stop._ You _aren’t_ real.” Shadow felt his doubt of that statement creep into the back of his mind. Just a small whisper, but enough to make him wonder if somehow the hedgehog in front of him could be more than just a creation of his hurting thoughts. 

He hated it.

“You’re _dead,_ ” he insisted, more to himself than to whatever it was in front of him as he finally stood, raising his voice as he spoke. “You’re dead, you’re gone, your _body_ is LAYING THERE ON THE GROUND. YOU! _ARE NOT!!_ **_REAL!!!_** _"_

Sadness slipped into the golden hedgehog’s eyes as the darker of the two continued to deny his existence. He hoped he wasn’t just making this harder for the other. He didn’t want that. He knew the boy had already gone through enough, and he debated on leaving then and there. However, Sonic still reached out and gently took Shadow’s hand, leaving the hedgehog a statue. Shadow simply stared, silent for now, but clearly still fighting the idea that Sonic was really there.

He wanted to believe it. He wanted so badly to just grab Sonic and hold him like he never had the chance to. But he _couldn't_. This had to be something his mind made up…didn’t it? He could remember 'seeing' Maria like this in the past, and he’d been dumb enough to believe it. But she always faded away. He didn’t want to fall for it again just for Sonic to disappear as well. But right now, Sonic felt so real, more real than those visions of the blonde human ever did...Shadow felt tears forming in his eyes again. He squeezed Sonic’s hand slightly, hidden emotions resurfacing when he half-felt the other squeeze back.

“…don’t go,” he murmured what was barely a whisper, looking away as he felt his cheeks dampen. He lifted his arm to wipe his face, upset that he was getting so worked up over what was probably nothing real-- but someone else beat him to it.

He looked back up at Sonic, who had placed his free hand on Shadow’s cheek to wipe away his tears with a soft smile.

All Shadow’s walls came crashing down.

Shadow tried his hardest to hold back a sob as he leaned into the touch. It was warm, soft...but again, only half-there. Still, he decided to embrace it. He knew he was only imagining, but damn it, he needed this. Even if it would only make things worse. "Sonic, I'm sorry...I couldn't get to you, this is my fault, I…"

Sonic lifted the other's head and they locked eyes. "Hey now, you're giving yourself too much credit. You weren't the one who got nabbed by that bucket o' bolts." The ghost showed no signs of malice, like he didn't blame the darker hedgehog for anything. Shadow scoffed internally. _The idiot doesn't even realize it was my fault._

"Please don't go," he said again, this time louder, trying to at least hold himself together a little bit. "We need you. _I_ need you. I know I messed up, just…stay with me."

Sonic sighed. "I…don't think I can."

"...what...?"

"I don't have much time left. I can feel myself...fading? I think? Whatever it is, it’s real fast, I probably only have another minute or so. Only enough time to say goodbye, really.” Sonic tried to shoot Shadow that grin, clearly forced. “Guess not even dying can slow me down.”

Shadow’s pupils contracted as the panic set in. "...no. _No._ ” He’d been trying to hold himself together, and he’d been doing good, he thought. But it was starting to be too much. He’d _watched him die_ , and now he came back just to _abandon_ him again?! “Y-You can't _leave._ ” He grabbed onto Sonic’s arm with his free hand, the other still intertwined with the spirit’s digits. “You can’t…! I can't lose you! Not like this! Don’t go, Sonic, pl--"

He was stopped mid-sentence when a pressure was put on his lips. The ghost-like Sonic had pulled him into a kiss. A soft one, but one that he slowly but surely returned. Shadow had made up his mind now. _This_ was real. Screw logic, screw common sense, he didn’t care. This felt real, and he was okay with it. Maybe Sonic really was a ghost. Maybe Shadow was finally losing it. Either way, he accepted it. He knew he’d lose his mind sooner or later, and if that’s what this was, well...it wasn’t so bad.

After only a few short seconds Sonic pulled away, wishing it could last longer but knowing they were short on time. Shadow still sat in stunned silence...until he realized just how quickly the other’s form was fading.

The living turned his head away from other, trying to think now that he was...calmer definitely _wasn’t_ the word, but at least he wasn’t screaming anymore. “So you’re...you’re a ghost, right?”

Sonic simply shrugged. “Looks that way.”

“There must be some way to keep ghosts here.” What that was, he had no idea. He didn’t even know if ghosts were real. “Maybe if you were given a physical form again…” 

“Well my old body seems pretty down for the count,” he joked. They both glanced at the body that still lay on the ground, Shadow immediately closing his eyes at the sight and nodding. “And I dunno about you, but living inside some rock or a piece of broken badnik doesn’t sound like a fun time to me.”

“So you won’t use an object. Fine.” He thought for a moment longer, rushing as he knew Sonic was fading fast and would be gone if he didn’t hurry. “…maybe you could use a person.”

“Shadow…”

“You could possess someone, and use their body to keep you here,” the hedgehog continued. “Not for very long, just until we find something better…”

Sonic gave an irritated sigh. “Shadow, no. That’s like stealing their entire life and their body and their _everything_ from them, I’m not going to do that against their will. We don’t have time to find anyone else, anyway.”

“...then use me.”

Sonic blinked in mild surprise. “Wh...what?” Had he misheard? Shadow couldn’t mean...

“You heard me.” It showed on his face how serious he was, the gravity of his tone matching. “We’re out of time. I’m telling you to possess my body until we find a better way.”

“Shads, I've literally been a ghost for all of three minutes, I don’t know what that’d do to you. It might not even work." Jade eyes looked down worriedly at black spines. "What if I hurt you for nothing?”

“I don’t care.” He was trying to keep composed, but Sonic recognized the sadness and fear in those ruby eyes. “I’m not letting you go.” The golden spirit was about to object when Shadow spoke again. “ _Now,_ Sonic.” He squeezed Sonic’s fading hand again. “Before it’s too late to try.” 

Hesitantly, Sonic nodded. He smiled at him for a brief moment before charging into the striped hedgehog. Impulsively Shadow tried to get out of the way, having to force himself to stay still after accidentally taking several steps back. Of course, Sonic was far too fast for that recoil to change anything, the other soul easily taking the body. Shadow inhaled sharply at the horrible sensation that came over him. This felt so indescribably _wrong_. He wanted to tell Sonic to stop, that it was too much. But no words came to his mind nor his mouth.

They figured they must’ve fallen to the ground at some point, finding themselves flat on the grass, body unmoving, watching the sun set over distant trees as the world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We see the ghosty boy! Somehow this chapter managed to be like twice as long as the first one, I figured it would be longer but not by that much lol. Art by me. Kudos and comments are always appreciated!


End file.
